Setting deadlines is essential to completing any task or goal. Without deadlines, it can be easy to lose motivation and give up on a project. Lack of impending deadlines can also lead to lack of focus & squirreling off into other things. This will only make the task harder in the long run, and you may never achieve your goals.
Setting deadlines can help motivate you to get more done in your home business. They can also help keep projects on track and ensure that deadlines are met. When setting deadlines, it is important to consider the time required to complete the task and your available resources and energy level.
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Deadlines are essential to a successful plan because they:
- Ensure you complete the right work to accomplish your goals.
- Establish consistency, organization, and a smooth workflow.
- Clarify your expectations and responsibilities.
- Maximize success and productivity.
Setting deadlines is an important part of managing your time effectively. When you have clear goals and deadlines, you can better focus on getting your tasks done and reaching your goals. This allows you to stay energized, motivated, and productive throughout the day.
Here are a few tips for how to create effective deadlines:
- Set realistic goals. Make sure your deadlines reflect what you can realistically achieve, rather than what you think is necessary or desirable. This will help keep you motivated and focused throughout the process.
- Create a plan of action. Break down your goal into specific action steps that need to be completed in order for it to become reality. Next, establish a timeline for each step so that you know when they should be completed by (this will also help keep track of progress).
- Stay organized and efficient with your time management tools. Use digital tools like planners or calendars along with physical reminders (e-mails, post-it notes) as needed; both will help increase productivity levels while staying organized and on task.
Here are a few ways to maximize your productivity by creating deadlines you will always stick to:
1 – Obtain & Understand the Right Resources Before Setting Deadlines
2 – Make The Deadlines Urgent but Realistic
Once you completely understand the expectations, set a deadline that pushes you to act without feeling overwhelmed and is realistic to the task you’re doing. Account for the unexpected. This step will require your full attention, honesty, and accountability.
If you cannot be honest with yourself about your abilities and time estimations, you will likely underestimate how long it will take to complete a task. For example, if you know that it usually takes you two hours to complete a task, do not expect to finish it in an hour. If you are able to accomplish the task more quickly than expected, be sure to note this and move on to another project or take a break.
Ninja tip: much like our kitchen cabinets, we tend to fill up the space we have. If you find yourself taking up every minute you’ve given yourself to do something, but you know you weren’t completely focused or operating quickly, it’s possible you gave yourself too much time. Be aware for the next time you do the task.
3 – Make your Deadlines Personal and Meaningful
There are a number of reasons why it is important to stay on schedule for your projects, but honestly, having your deadline be the only thing keeping you on track doesn’t always work. It can help to have a more personal reason to finish your project on time.
For example, If I do not complete this assignment on the date specified, I will have to cancel my weekend plans to finish it up, which means I’ll miss out on quality time with family and friends. This can then have a negative impact on my productivity and overall satisfaction with my home biz & cause me to be less motivated on my next project. It’s a viscious cycle.
Being aware of the consequences of not getting your work done on time can really help you to stay on track better.
Bonus Ninja Tip: It can also help you to be accountable to someone else. Have a fellow entrepreneur as an accountability buddy that you meet with weekly. If you don’t have one, tell your spouse. Just telling someone out loud what your intentions are for the week can often be a big motivator.
Wrapup
Setting correct deadlines can help you stay on track and get your work done in a timely and orderly fashion. Set realistic deadlines, know what it’s going to take to get things done & how potential obstacles may cause delays, and make sure your deadlines are meaningful to you. Completing your work on time also makes you feel like the friggin’ rock star entrepreneur that you are. This leads to a big boost in productivity & momentum with your motivation levels.
30 Days to Maximize Your Home Business Productivity
This blog post is part of a challenge series called “30 Days to Maximize Your Home Business Productivity.” You’ll be able to find the whole productivity challenge here once it’s all been posted. Bookmark the page & set a daily reminder to go back & read a new post each day for some extra motivation, encouragement, & home business productivity tips.
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About the Author: I'm Misty, wife to a handsome fella & momma of two amazing kiddos that I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with. I did a lot of struggling in home biz quicksand before I started researching, learning from, and invterviewing top earners to learn their exact systems for getting customers and recruiting... and began sharing their secrets. I quickly got overwhelmed trying to #DOITALL and realized home biz success boils down to having solid systems and implementing consistently. Now I'm peeling back the curtain for you so you don't have to waste time & mental calories (like I did) trying to create success while also saving your sanity. Come join the conversation in our Free Life Ninjas Community.